Pocket flashlight



Dec. 10, 1946.1 R. B. 13m-'TERSBY ETAL 2,412,313

` POCKET FLASHLIGIH' Filed May 7, 1945 ATTopNE-Y Patented Dec. 1o, 1946POCKET FLASHLIGHT Robert B. Battersby, Noroton Heights, and James C.Prior, Stamford, Conn., assignors to Sidney Schwartz, New York, N. Y.

Application May 7, 1945, Serial No. 592,370

Claims.

This invention relates to portable lighting devices and moreparticularly is directed to pocket battery flashlights.

Among the objectsof the invention is the provision of an improved deviceof the character described comprising few and simple parts which shallbe easily assembled to form a reliable and dependable lighting meanscapable of withstanding rough and hard usage yet which shall be smalland compact so that it can be readily carried in the pocket or inhandbags, which shall be neat in appearance, convenient to handle andoperate, cheap to manufacture, and practical and efficient to a highdegree in use.

Other objects of this invention will in part be obvious and in parthereinafter pointed out.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction,combinations of elements and arrangements of parts which will beexemplified in the construction hereinafter described and of which thescope of application will be indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawing, in which is shown one of the variouspossible illustrative embodiments of this invention:

Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional view taken through a pocket flashlightconstructed to embody the invention showing the cover in closed positionwith the switch portions in open circuit and in the dotted line thecover is shown in retained open position with the switch portions inclosed circuit for lighting the incandescent lamp.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the improved flashlight shown in Fig. l.

Fig. 2a is a top plan view like Fig. 2 with the cover partly broken awayto expose the under structure.

Figs. 3 and 4 are cross-sectional views as seen along lines 3 3 and 4-4,respectively, in Fig. 1, and

Figs. 5 and 6 are fragmentary cross-sectional views showing detailedconstructions taken on lines 5-5 and 66, respectively, on Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawing, I0 denotes a pocket flashlight of a type thatcan conveniently be carried in a vest pocket or in a womans handbag,constructed to embody the invention. Said flashlight I0 may comprise asuitable outer body casing |I, as here shown, being formed of aone-piece sheet metal, enclosing a standard electric battery of reversedpolarity positioned dry cells I2 and I3, that is being arranged forseries connection, each cell preferably insulated by a wrapper I4 ofpaper or liber material. Upper (Cl. 24o-10.65)

- carbon and zinc terminals I'2a and I'3b of cells end Ila of saidcasing II extends beyond the I2 and I3, respectively, to provide aremovable seated anchorage for head portion I5. 'Ihe latter carries astandard miniature incandescent lamp I'6 and a switch Il for making andbreaking the circuit from said battery cells I2, I3 to the lamp I6 onopening and closing respectively, of a pivoted cover 20 in the mannerhereinafter described. f

Said flashlight head portion I5 is preferably made of a suitable plasticmolded material formed with an integral cut-back edge or rabbeted rimflange I5a extended yaround the exterior of an open side thereof andneatly fitted to extend into the upper casing end IIa to rmly seat thehead portion I5 in position on the casing II. Said ilange I5a and uppercasing end IIa may be provided with a readily detachable connectionmeans, as for example, recessed blind slots or grooves I5b molded inexterior surfaces of rim ilange I5a forming a coupling engaging withinwardly projecting Ibosses IIb provided on interior side walls of uppercasing end IIa for removably retaining the head portion I5 in saidseated position as shown in Figs. 1 and 6. The material and constructionof the upper casing end IIa and said slotted anges I 5a is such that thehead portion I5 can be readily snapped in and out of cooperatingassembly for replacing the battery cells I2, I3 or the lamp I6.

As shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 2a, said flashlight head portion I5 isstructurally formed to have a cavity I 5c extending in from the openside thereof and is elongated to conform to the ovallike shape of across section of the casing I I. One end of said cavity I 5c may haveintegral molded on the interior wall therein spaced ledges I-5d,projecting toward one another into the depth of the cavity I5c to form aslideway and being of a suicient length to provide a rigid anchorage fora vertically extending mid-portion I 9a of a suitable spring conductorswitch member I9. The other end of said cavity I5c is provided on theinterior wall opposite said ledges I 5d,

' with a suitable lamp holder means, as for example, a plurality ofspaced lugs I 5e adapted to form a seat for the screw base lend I 6a oflamp I6 when the latter is in assembled position with the bulb I6bthereof projecting through opening I'5gin partition wall portion I5f ofhead portion I5 overlying the lamp bulb I6b as shown in Fig. 1. The lugsI5e and partition wall portion I'5f are integrally molded with theinterior walls of said last mentioned cavity end as seen from Figs. 2.2g. and i.

The nashlight head portion Il is also provided with the elongated snapclosure cover 20 which extends over partition wall opening'. IIa.

Said cover 2li is pivotally mounted as by means respectively, in Fig. 1.

The spring conductor switch member I9 is preferably formed from aberyllium copper strip4 or the equivalent and besides having thevertically mid-portion and horizontally extending intermediate portionI8a and Iilb, respectively, is also formed with a lower free contact endI9c which is positioned when the member I9 is firmly anchored' inassembled position to be spring pressed against the center or carboncontact I2a of battery cell I2 as shown in Figs. 1 and 4. The other freeend of member I9 forms a blade Id which may be bent to extend downwardlyalongside the ferrule contact of lamp base I6a. Thus as seen from Figs.1, 2a, 4 and 5 the lugs- I5e,'while spring member I8, which has itsanchoring mid-.portion I9 made slightly wider lthan intermediateportion.Ish or lower end portion I9c can be firmly mounted in place by slidingand wedging said mid-portion Isa, in the slide way between ledges ld.The rim flange IIa of ,head portion I5 can then be seated on the casinglupper end IIa and snap locked by the detachlable coupling connectionofbosses IIb in grooves I5b. The lower end I9c of spring number Il willthen be in tight contact with the carbon swinging the latter from closeto spring switch member I9 is constructed with double contacts,'one ateach end, the anchored mid-portion lila being formed with edgeextensions securely retained in slideway I5d provided in the walls ofthe cavity l5c for allowing the lower contact end I9c to positivelyconnect the member I9 in the battery circuit and for allowing springcontacting blade I9d to have a rubbing circuit making connection withthe fer-rule lamp base Ilia when the cover 20 is manually swung openwhile permitting a positive circuit breaking connection thereat when thecover 201 is snapped shut after the cover end 20a passed beyond the deadpoint on its swinging closure movement, as is clear from Fig. l.

The casing II may be made of aluminum or other suitable metal andbesides'being formed with bosses I Id on the upper end ila, thereof hasan integrally formed closure bottom I Ic provided with a battery contactboss IId projecting upwardly therewithin whichy is positioned to aligncentrally with zinc terminaly I2b of battery cell I2. Spaced anchoragesI lf also project upwardly within said bottom Ilc under the center orcarbon terminal I3a of cell I3 for permanently anchoring a helicalspring 22, the latter making contact with said terminal I3a, as shown inFigs. l and 3. The casing II and head portion I5 are so proportionedthat the battery cells I2 and I3 are under sufiicient compressionbetween the spring end I9c and boss Il d, and between said helicalspring 22 and the lamp center contact, IIc respectively, the latterbearing on the zinc terminal I3b of vdry cell I3 so as to positivelyassure a continuous series circuit from the switch member I 9 throughthe battery cell I2 casing bottom I I, battery cell I3` and hence to thelamp: i8, as is clear from Fig. 1. l

The practical operation of the invention willv now be apparent. With thehead portion lI5 ref moved from the casing II, the battery ce1s'I2 andI3 are inserted in the latter in relatively reversed polar positions forseries connection under the partition wall I5! of the head portion I5with the lamp bulb I6b extending into the opening I5g and the lamp baseI6a retained by through casing bottom I I. A lamp I6l is inserted4scribed above.

cellI terminal I2a and zinc cell terminal IIb tightly pressed againstthe lamp center-contact Ic, forming a continuous series circuitl as de-When the cover 20 is in closed position, the switch I1 is in opencircuit at the ferrule of the lamp base I6a las shown in` full lines inFig. 1. f

To operate the fiashlight III fo'r lighting the bulb, the cover 20 ismanually swung open on the trunnion bearing 2l. As the cover. 20 swingsto its open position, shown 1n dotted lines Fig. l, cover endv 20aflexes the spring member inter-- mediate portion I 9b downwardly and theend blade iSd is brought into rubbing contact with the ferrule contactof lamp base IGa completing the electric power circuit and lightingvthelamp I6 forgiving illumination through the uncovered opening` Iig. Thespring member lwis so arranged and constructed so as to permit aminimumflexing leverage movement ,by the projecting cover end 20a for greatestor maximum movement at the end blade I9d toincrease the sweep thereof inmaking and breaking the circuit connections. The cover 20 isautomatically swung to either full open or full closed positions whenthe end 20a is vmoved off the de ad center line with respect to the axisof the trunnion bearing 2i as 'seen from Fig. 1. V

If desired a suitable ring or bail 23, may be pivotally mounted toextend from the casing bottom llc for suspending the ashlight 2U fromachain or the like.

It should be noted that the flashlight conlstruction Ill is not Aonly ofimproved simple construction but also lends itself to form a neat andattractive designed article for the purposes described.

It will thus be seen that there is provided a flashlight construction inwhich the several objects of `this, invention are achieved and which iswell adapted to meet the conditions of practical use.

As various possible embodiments might` be made of the above inventionand as various changes might be made in the embodiment above set forth,it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in theaccompanying drawing is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in alimiting sense.

Having thus described our invention, we claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent:

1. In a portable flashlight construction of the :character described, ahead portion comprising the interior wall at the other end of saidcavity having integrally formed spaced lugs and a partition with anopening, an incandescent lamp having a base formed with a -ferrule andcenter f' anatre mi* 'Pl-n uns sans im ,fthe-.tmb tending into-saidpartition opening and saidfliSe retainedl by, said lugs lwith theferrule positionedr in the'path of movement of-said blade, and pivotedmeans on said structure for ilexing theb'lade to make a scraping contactwith said lamp base ferrule. l -t 2. The portable ashlight constructionas deilned in claim 1 including a casing having coupling means fordetachably securing said head the housing bottom aligning to connect,with a f terminal of one of said cells, integrally formed anchoragemeans to upstand from 'the .interior of the' housing bottom spaced fromsaid boss,

and a spring secured by said anchorage means aligning to' connect with aterminal of another of said cells, the other terminal of last mentionedcell connecting with the lamp base center contact, said conductor striphaving a spring contact on the end thereof opposite said bladecontacting weilih the other terminal of the ilrst mentioned c 3. In aportable flashlight oi' the character described, a head portion adaptedto be detachably mounted on a casing housing electric battery cellscomprising a'molded insulating structure having an elongated cavityextending in from an open side thereof, a one-piece metallic switchblade. mounted in said cavity, an' interior wall at one end of saidcavity having integrally formed spaced ledges to provide a slidewayconstructed and arranged to anchor said metallic switch blade therein,an incandescent lamp having a bulb and base ferrule, mounted in saidcavity and spaced from said slideway, the interior wall at the other endof said cavityl having integrally formed spaced lugs and a partitionwith an opening of less diameter than said lamp base constructed andarranged to mount said incandescent lamp with the bulb thereof extendinginto said opening and with said lamp base and ferrule retained by saidlugs whereby lthe lamp base is positioned for being contacted on iiexingsaid blade.

d. "in a portable flashlight construction, a molded insulated` headportion, a metallic battery casni oa wmc said head portion is detachabiyseated,y battery cells fitted into said casing connected in seriescircuitsthrough said metallic casingya. circuit closing mechanismcarried by ,saidy head portion including a conductor strip having amid-portion thereof anchoredr to the head portion, a lower enl extendingfrom said mid-portion contacting with one terminal of said batterycells, an incandescent lamp having base ferrule and center contactscarried by said head portion spaced from said anchored mid-portion withsaid lamp center contact connecting with the other terminal of saidbattery cells, said midportion also having an intermediate springportion extended in a direction toward but normally short of said lampbase errule contact, said intermediate portion having a spring end bladefor making and breaking the circuit at said lampferrule contact, a coverpivoted on said head portion to provide a removable closure over saidlampV and having a projecting end, said cover in closed position havingsaid projecting end thereof engaging the, strip intermediate-portion forilexing same to actuate said blade to circuit open position. said coveron movement to expose the lamp actuating saidblade to closed circuitposltion.

5. In a portable ashlight construction an inl sulating head portionhaving a pivoted cover adapted to be removably mounted on a batterycasing, said head portion having` integrally formed ledges arranged andconstructed to serve as a slideway,4 a spring conductor strip having a.mid-portion formed with edge extensions serving as a wedging means foranchoring said midportion in said slideway, av lower spring endextending from said mid-portion adapted to contact a battery cellterminal in said casing, an intermediate portion extending from saidmid-portion opposite said lower spring and adapted to be flexed withsaid mid-portion as a fulcrum, and an end blade terminating saidintermediate por- `tion adapted to serve as a switch part for said

